KR102583298B1 - Autonomous driving facility robot and facility management automation system using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention includes a facility robot that is equipped with a payload that assists the growth of crops and travels between crops cultivated in a facility; and a control server that communicates with the facility robot, wherein the facility robot is formed as a vehicle including a body part and a chassis part, a flat mounting part on which the payload is mounted on the upper surface, and a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) It relates to an autonomous facility robot that can perform various tasks while enabling more precise positioning by further including a UWB tag so that the positioning is calculated using , and an automated facility management system using the same.

Description

Self-driving facility robot and facility management automation system using the same {AUTONOMOUS DRIVING FACILITY ROBOT AND FACILITY MANAGEMENT AUTOMATION SYSTEM USING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a self-driving facility robot and a facility management automation system using the same. More specifically, it relates to a self-driving facility robot with an autonomous driving function that helps grow crops in facility cultivation and a facility management automation system that controls the robot. It's about.

In modern times, with the development of industrial technology, it has become possible to grow out-of-season fruits, vegetables, and various types of flowers through cultivation facilities such as greenhouses and greenhouses. In order to operate such facility cultivation, it is common to continuously spray nutrient solution to supply moisture to crops, prevent pests and diseases, and supply nutrients to crops. At this time, the nutrient solution is an aqueous solution of inorganic nutrients necessary for crop growth.

During facility cultivation, nutrient solution spraying has evolved from being done manually by manpower, and facilities that automatically spray nutrient solution on crops are expanding. Furthermore, recently, smart farms that combine ICT technology with facility cultivation have been established, providing facilities that can automatically manage the growth environment remotely and increase production efficiency. At this time, the smart farm involves control functions such as temperature and humidity control and illumination control as well as nutrient solution spraying, and pest control robots, transport robots, harvest robots, etc. can be deployed and utilized within the facility for each purpose.

Currently, Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1376535 (hereinafter referred to as 'prior art') discloses technology related to robots that can be used in facility cultivation. In the above prior art, an agricultural pest control robot system is disclosed that sprays nutrient solution while moving along furrows formed between crops. Referring to Figure 1, the agricultural pest control robot system of the prior art includes a nutrient solution moving supply unit (1) consisting of a nutrient solution supply unit (1a) and a nutrient solution truck robot (1b), and a pest control robot (2), and the nutrient solution supply unit ( 1a), the nutrient solution truck robot (1b) and the pest control robot (2) are configured to be connected to the hose (3). At this time, the pest control robot 2 can spray the nutrient solution while moving in the furrow between crops connected to the central passage.

In this way, in the past, different robots, such as pest control robots, transport robots, and harvest robots, are operated according to the task to grow crops. This has the problem of incurring excessive costs to increase user convenience during facility cultivation, and has limitations in that central control becomes difficult because travel plans for each robot must be established separately. In addition, well-known technologies have a problem in that they require monitoring by managers as large positioning errors occur during actual operation, making it difficult to establish automation perfectly.

KR 10-1376535 B1 (2014.03.26. Announcement) KR 10-2009453 B1 (2019.08.13. Announcement)

The present invention was created to solve the problems of the prior art. The present invention is an autonomous facility robot that can perform various tasks by replacing the payload and enables more precise positioning through a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) tag, and an autonomous facility robot using the same. It is about facility management automation system.

The facility management automation system according to the present invention for achieving the above-described purpose includes a facility robot that is equipped with a payload that assists the growth of crops and travels between crops cultivated in the facility; and a control server that communicates with the facility robot, wherein the facility robot is formed as a vehicle including a body part and a chassis part, a flat mounting part on which the payload is mounted on the upper surface, and a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) A UWB tag may be further included so that positioning is calculated using .

In addition, the facility management automation system according to the present invention further includes a plurality of UWB anchors fixed in the facility and communicating with the UWB, and the location of the facility robot is determined by time difference of arrival (TDoA) or two way ranging (TWR). ) can be calculated using.

In addition, the facility robot includes a main control unit including a travel control unit that controls the running and steering of the chassis unit; and an information measuring unit that measures external information and transmits it to the main control unit, wherein the main control unit may control the chassis unit based on external information received from the information measuring unit.

In addition, the main control unit further includes a task control unit connected to the payload to control the operation of the payload, and the main control unit controls the operation of the payload based on external information received from the information measurement unit. You can.

In addition, the main control unit includes a memory device, and a travel plan and a work plan are recorded in the travel control unit and the work control unit, respectively, and the travel plan includes a data set on the movement path of the facility robot, and the work plan may include a dataset of the conditions for performing the task and the content of the task.

In addition, the control server includes a monitoring unit that outputs the interior of the facility and the real-time location of the facility robot as an image, and the monitoring unit is configured to determine the path that the facility robot moved during the previous predetermined time based on real time. Wow, the route that the facility robot will travel during a certain period of time can be output together.

In addition, the information measuring unit may include a camera, and the control server may include the monitoring unit that outputs an image captured by the camera of the facility robot.

In addition, the facility management automation method according to the present invention using the above-described facility management automation system includes step A in which the facility robot operates and transmits unique information of the facility robot to the control server; And a step B of determining whether the facility robot is authorized based on the unique information received from the control server and responding to the facility robot as to whether the facility robot is authorized. If the facility robot is authorized, Step C of transmitting status information of the facility robot to the control server after the facility robot receives permission approval; And it may further include step D in which the control server and the facility robot are connected to each other.

In addition, in the facility management automation method according to the present invention, when the authority of the facility robot is approved, in step B, the control server transmits the reference coordinates of the UWB anchor together, and the status information in step C is The current location of the facility robot may be included.

In addition, the status information includes a travel plan recorded in the storage device of the facility robot, and in step D, when the travel plan recorded in the facility robot and the travel plan recorded in the control server collide, a priority is set. The facility robot may be operated depending on the ranking.

The facility management automation system according to the present invention with the above-described configuration can calculate the real-time location of the facility robot using UWB, thereby reducing errors due to frequency collisions and calculating a more precise location to perform the mission of the facility robot. It has the advantage of being able to perform more efficiently.

In addition, the facility management automation system according to the present invention performs multiple functions with a single platform through a facility robot that can be changed for various purposes and a control server that can remotely monitor and control the facility robot, making it highly efficient at low cost. There is an advantage in being able to provide .

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an agricultural pest control robot system according to the prior art.
Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the facility management automation system according to the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing a facility robot of the facility management automation system according to the present invention.
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the facility management automation system according to the present invention.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a control server according to the present invention.
Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of an automated facility management system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.
Figure 8 is a configuration diagram of a smart farm according to the present invention.
Figure 9 is a photo of a smart farm according to the present invention.
Figure 10 is a configuration diagram of a facility robot according to the present invention.
Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of measuring the position of a facility robot in a precise positioning section of an automated facility management system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.
12 is an explanatory diagram of the UWB positioning method.
Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining a method of measuring the position of a facility robot in a UWB positioning section in the facility management automation system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.
Figure 15 is a flow chart of an automated facility management method using indoor positioning according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the attached drawings, a self-driving facility robot according to the present invention, a facility management automation system using the same, and a facility management automation method using the same will be described in detail. The drawings introduced below are provided as examples so that the idea of the present invention can be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the drawings presented below and may be embodied in other forms. Additionally, like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

If there is no other definition in the technical and scientific terms used here, they have meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and the gist of the present invention is not required in the following description and attached drawings. Descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may be confusing are omitted.

2 to 4 relate to a facility management automation system according to the present invention. Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the facility management automation system, Figure 3 is a diagram showing a facility robot of the facility management automation system, and Figure 4 is a facility management automation system. A schematic diagram of the management automation system is shown respectively.

Referring to FIG. 2, the facility management automation system 10 according to the present invention may include a facility robot 100, a control server 200, and a UWB anchor 20. At this time, the facility robot 100 can be formed as a vehicle that can drive within the facility, and the control server 200 is placed inside or outside the facility and can communicate with the control server 200 through a wired or wireless network. It can be configured so that At this time, the network refers to a connection structure in which each node can exchange information with each other. Examples of the network include the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) network, Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, and World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX). Network, Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network), Bluetooth network, satellite broadcasting network, analog broadcasting network , DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The control server 200 may be implemented as a fixed terminal such as a desktop PC, laptop computer, ultrabook, etc., or may be implemented as a server equipped with a display, and may also be implemented as a digital terminal. It may be implemented as various types of mobile terminals such as broadcasting terminals, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation, tablet PCs, and wearable devices.

The UWB anchor 20 is a fixed node that can be placed in a facility and have a fixed location, and can exchange signals with a UWB tag, a mobile node installed in the facility robot 100, through UWB (Ultra Wide Band). At this time, the UWB anchor 20 can communicate with the facility robot 100 or the control server 200 through a UWB physical layer (PHY) according to the IEEE 802.15.4a standard, and the UWB anchor ( 20) can be formed in plural to form a mesh network connected to Ethernet or Wi-Fi. More preferably, at least three UWB anchors 20 may be placed in the facility.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the facility robot 100 according to the present invention includes a body part 110, a mounting part 120, a chassis part 130, a main control part 140, an information measuring part 150, It includes a communication unit 160 or a UWB tag 161, and the facility robot 100 may be formed as a vehicle-type platform in which the payload 30 can be replaced. At this time, the body portion 110 forms the structure of the vehicle including the main body, body exterior, or body interior, and the chassis portion 130 includes a power generating unit such as an engine or battery, a power transmission device, and a steering device. , the vehicle may be configured to drive, including a braking device, a suspension device, or a frame. At this time, the mounting part 120 may be connected to and fixed to the body part 110, and may be formed in a flat form so that the payload 30 may be mounted on the upper surface. More preferably, the mounting portion 120 may be formed as a perforated plate with a plurality of holes penetrating upward and downward, spaced apart in the area direction.

The body portion 110 and chassis portion 130 may be configured as a platform-type robot equipped with only a basic driving base and autonomous driving-related systems as the organ mounting portion 120 is disposed. In other words, it may be a top plate added at the vehicle platform level. In addition, the chassis unit 130 may include wheels so that it can travel on the ground, and when rails are formed in the facility, it may further include auxiliary wheels that can travel on the rails along with the wheels. Additionally, the wheels of the chassis unit 130 may have a larger diameter than the auxiliary wheels.

The main control unit 140 may include a storage device such as a memory or database in addition to a control operation device. At this time, the control processing devices include ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), DSPDs (digital signal processing devices), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), controllers, and microcontrollers. It may be implemented using at least one of micro-controllers, microprocessors, and other electrical units for performing functions.

The main control unit 140 may include a travel control unit 141 and an operation control unit 142. Here, the travel control unit 141 can control the running, steering, or braking of the chassis unit 130, and the work control unit 142 is connected to the payload 30 to control the operation of the payload 30. You can control it. Here, the payload 30 can be implemented in various forms depending on functions such as pest control, transportation, harvesting, and monitoring, and a plurality of the payload 30 with different functions can be replaced and used in the mounting unit 120. . And the main control unit 140 records the travel plan and work plan in the travel control unit 141 and the work control unit 142, and the travel plan includes a data set about the movement path of the facility robot 100. The work plan may include a data set of conditions under which the payload 30 will perform work and the work details of the payload 30.

The information measurement unit 150 may include a sensor and a camera. At this time, the sensor is configured to detect the surrounding environment, such as temperature and humidity or illumination, and can detect a variety of surrounding environments by including a plurality of sensors with different functions. And the camera can take pictures of the outside, and the information detected by the information measurement unit 150 can be transmitted to the main control unit 150. Here, the main control unit 150 may include a plurality of control controllers that process data at different levels. For example, one control controller controls low-level embeddedness and another control controller controls high-level embeddedness related to autonomous driving. level of software control.

The facility robot 100 may communicate on a network with the control server 200 through the communication unit 160, and signal exchange with the UWB anchor 30 may be possible through the UWB tag 161. At this time, the positioning of the facility robot 100 can be calculated using TDoA (TIme Difference of Arrival) or TWR (Two Way Ranging) through signal exchange between the UWB tag 161 and the plurality of UWB anchors 30. there is. Here, the UWB-based positioning technique has been standardized and completed for commercial use in IEEE 802.15.3a and IEEE 802.15.4a, and IR-UWB (Impulse-Radio Ultra Wide Band) has a range of 3.1 to 10.6 GKHZ depending on the transmission method. It is also possible to transmit data at high speeds of 100Mpbs or more, and with low power, location recognition and tracking are possible from tens of centimeters to several meters indoors and outdoors compared to conventional technologies based on WiFi and Bluetooth. The UWB tag 161 and a plurality of UWB anchors 30 can compensate for problems caused by environmental factors in commonly used sensors as described above and can accurately scan the target. This UWB-based wireless positioning technique is TDoA, which calculates the distance by simultaneously measuring the signal arrival time between the UWB tag 161 and the multiple UWB anchors 30 after synchronizing the time between the multiple UWB anchors 30. (Time Difference of Arrival) method or TWR (Two-Way Ranging) method, which calculates RTT (Round Trip Time) between the UWB tag 161 and multiple UWB anchors 30 and converts the calculated RTT into distance. Ultimately, the signal exchange time between the UWB tag 161 and multiple UWB anchors 30 may be important. Therefore, the UWB tag 161 transmits a time stamp to a plurality of UWB anchors 30 so that the control server 200 calculates the real-time location of the facility robot 100 including the UWB tag 161. and may be determined.

The facility robot 100 according to the present invention may further include a battery 170 that supplies power to electronic components. At this time, the battery 170 can be charged wired or wirelessly, and a wired-only model can be performed by transmitting a charging request to the control server 200 after moving to a charging station. And when the control server 200 receives a charging request, it can induce charging using the worker. In the case of wireless charging, the facility robot 100 may be configured to move to a wireless docking station to charge the battery after the battery is below a certain level or work is completed. And when the charging exceeds the standard value, the facility robot 100 may resume the mission depending on the settings or may perform the mission when a command for resumption arrives from the management server 200.

The payload 30 mounted on the facility robot 100 can receive power from the battery 170 or a separate power line, and can communicate data with the main control unit 140. In addition, the main control unit 140 can detect the type of connected mission equipment through predefined presets, and may request additional presets from the control server 200 when equipment of a type that is not owned is connected. At this time, the preset may include unique information of the mission equipment, configuration information, and information including the purpose of performance.

Figures 5 and 6 relate to an automated facility management system according to the present invention, and Figures 5 and 6 respectively show diagrams showing a control server.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the control server 200 may further include a monitoring unit 210. At this time, the monitoring unit 210 can output information to the manager through video, output the interior of the facility and the real-time location of the facility robot 100 as video, or capture information captured by the camera of the facility robot 100. Video can also be output. At this time, the monitoring unit 210 can output the location of the facility robot 100 as well as the current status and attached device information in complex form or provide guidance to the manager, and each facility robot 100 or a plurality of facility robots ( 100) The function of establishing a plan, such as assigning duties to a group of people, may also be included. In addition, the monitoring unit 210 may also display the current location, scheduled progress path, and past progress route before the set time of each facility robot 100. At this time, the current location, expected progress route, and past progress route can be displayed through different icons to improve visibility. In addition, the monitoring unit 210 may display the current mission status of each facility robot 100 and its attached equipment.

In addition, the facility management automation method according to the present invention using the above-described facility management automation system is as follows.

The facility management automation method according to the present invention includes step A in which the facility robot 100 operates and transmits unique information of the facility robot 100 to the control server 200, and It may include a step B of determining whether the facility robot 100 has been granted authority based on unique information and responding to the facility robot 100 as to whether the authority has been approved. If the facility robot 100 is not authorized, it may respond with related information and terminate or proceed to the authorization registration stage. If the facility robot 100 is authorized, facility management automation according to the present invention may be completed. The method includes step C in which the facility robot 100 transmits the status information of the facility robot 100 to the control server 200 after receiving permission approval, and the control server 200 and the facility robot 100 It may further include a D stage that is connected to each other. Here, steps A to D may be arbitrarily defined names to indicate that they proceed sequentially.

In the facility management automation method according to the present invention, when the authority of the facility robot 100 is approved, in step B, the control server 200 transmits the reference coordinates of the UWB anchor 30 together, and in step C The status information may include the current location of the facility robot 100. In other words, the facility robot 100 determines its own coordinates through the information on the plurality of UWB anchors 30 received in step B and the distance information with the UWB 30 received through the UWB tag 161 included in the facility robot 100. can be calculated through the main control unit 140, and the calculated current location, which is the coordinates of the user, can be transmitted to the control server 200 through the communication unit 160.

In the facility management automation method according to the present invention, the status information includes a travel plan recorded in the memory device of the facility robot 100, and in step D, the travel plan recorded in the facility robot 100 and the If the travel plan recorded in the control server 200 conflicts, the facility robot 100 can be operated according to the set priority. That is, if the driving plan preset for the facility robot 100 and the driving plan commanded by the control server 200 to operate the facility robot 100 are different from each other, the driving plan of the facility robot 100 or the control server The facility robot 100 may be operated so that any one of the travel plans 200 takes priority.

The main control unit 140 of the facility robot 100 may include a repetitive work plan, and if the facility robot 100 satisfies the prerequisites of the repetitive work plan after step D, the mission can be performed. , if the prerequisites of the repetitive work plan are met, the operation control of the facility robot 100 that is autonomously traveling may be temporarily stopped.

Figure 7 is a configuration diagram of an automated facility management system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the facility management automation system using indoor positioning may be configured to further include a smart farm 300 in addition to a plurality of the facility robots 100 and the management server 200. At this time, the smart farm 300 may be equipped with a precision positioning section and an ultra-wideband wireless technology (UWB) positioning section. And the plurality of facility robots 100 can perform requested tasks using indoor positioning within the smart farm 300.

The management server 200 receives the location of the facility robot 100 measured in the precise positioning section and the location of the facility robot 100 measured in the UWB positioning section, and performs the tasks of each facility robot 100. can be controlled. The facility management automation system according to the present invention monitors and manages the operation status of the smart farm 300, displays the location of the facility robot 100, or performs tasks with the facility robot 100. A communication system with the manager terminal 400 may be established to transmit instruction requests. Here, the communication network between the smart farm 300, the management server 200, the facility robot 100, and the manager terminal 400 can be configured regardless of the communication mode, such as wired or wireless, and a short-range communication network. It can be composed of various communication networks such as Local Area Network (LAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), and Wide Area Network (WAN). Preferably, the communication network referred to in the present invention may be the known World Wide Web (WWW). Meanwhile, communication can be made between the facility robot 100 and the management server 200 and between the smart farm 300 and the management server 200 via Wi-Fi.

Figure 8 is a configuration diagram of a smart farm according to the present invention, and Figure 9 is a photograph of the smart farm according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 9, the smart farm 300 includes a plurality of badge trays 301, a plurality of precision positioning sections 302, a rail 303, a UWB positioning section 304, a laser sensor 305, 306), and a smart farm communication unit 307, and a plurality of UWB anchors 20 may be installed inside the smart farm 300. At this time, at least three or more of the UWB anchors 20 may be provided in the smart farm 300 to perform UWB positioning.

The plurality of media trays 301 are provided in the form of a line in the first direction within the smart farm 300 and are a space where crops are grown.

The plurality of precision positioning sections 302 are provided in the first direction between neighboring badge trays 301 and are sections where the precise position of the facility robot 100 is measured.

The rail 303 is provided on each precision positioning section 302, so that the facility robot 100 moves forward and backward along the rail.

The UWB positioning section 304 is provided in the form of a line in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on one side of the plurality of precision positioning sections 302 and is a section where the position using UWB is measured.

The laser sensors 305 and 306 are provided at the front and rear of the section along which the facility robot 100 moves in each precise positioning section 302 and are positioned to face each other.

The smart farm communication unit 307 can support wireless communication (WiFi, etc.) with the management server 200.

Figure 10 is a configuration diagram of a facility robot according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10, the information measuring unit 150 of the facility robot 100 may include a first laser sensor, a second laser sensor, and a vision sensor (camera), and the UWB tag 161 It consists of a UWB transceiver and can communicate with a plurality of UWB anchors 20 and communicate data with the outside, including the communication unit 160.

The first laser sensor may be provided on the front side of the facility robot 100 in the traveling direction to measure the position using a laser within the precise positioning section 302. In addition, the second laser sensor may be provided at the rear of the facility robot 100 in the traveling direction to measure the position using a laser within the precise positioning section 302.

The UWB tag 161 may be mounted to measure UWB positioning in the UWB positioning section 304. And the communication unit 160 can transmit the location of the facility robot 100 measured by the first laser sensor, the second laser sensor, and the UWB tag 161 to the management server 200.

The vision sensor is provided to perform line tracing when the facility robot 100 moves from the UWB positioning section 304 to the precise positioning section 302. That is, the facility robot 100 can perform line tracing using the vision sensor 305 and land on the corresponding rail 303.

Figure 11 is a diagram for explaining a method of measuring the position of a facility robot in a precise positioning section in the facility management automation system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.

The first distance between the laser sensor 305 provided on the surface opposite to the first laser sensor of the information measurement unit 150 measured by the first laser sensor of the facility robot 100, and the first laser sensor and The second distance from the facility robot 100 measured by the laser sensor 305 provided on the opposite side must be the same.

In addition, a third distance between the laser sensor 306 provided on the surface opposite to the second laser sensor measured by the second laser sensor of the information measurement unit 150 of the facility robot 100, and the second The fourth distance between the facility robot 100 and the facility robot 100 measured by the laser sensor 206 provided on the surface opposite to the laser sensor must be the same.

However, the measured first, second, third, and fourth distances have a certain degree of error, and based on this, the location of the facility robot 100 is finally determined.

Meanwhile, based on the measured first distance, second distance, third distance, and fourth distance, it can be determined whether a problem occurs in the smart farm 300. For example, the first distance and the second distance should be similar values, but if there is a very large difference, it may mean that a problem has occurred in the facility robot 100 or the laser sensor.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the UWB positioning method, and Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams illustrating a method of measuring the position of a facility robot in a UWB positioning section in the facility management automation system using indoor positioning according to the present invention.

In general, UWB (ultra-wideband wireless technology) is a wireless communication technology that transmits large amounts of information at low power over a wider band than the existing spectrum. It guarantees a transmission distance of 10m to 1km while using the frequency band of 3.1 to 10.6 GHz. UWB has been applied to the U.S. Department of Defense's 'Black Project' radar technology until the 1990s. It is a wireless communication technology that uses a GHz-wide frequency band and can transmit at a speed of 100 to 500 meters per second, allowing large-capacity videos to be transmitted without shaking or bugs. It can transmit perfectly and the transmission distance is 1km, which is 10 times longer than Bluetooth's 100m, making it possible to implement a perfect home networking system and eliminate the wires of all digital home appliances. UWB has the following advantages.

1. Low power consumption.

2. Resistant to interference.

3. High-speed communication is possible. However, as the distance increases, the speed decreases dramatically.

4. The precision of position detection is high and the error is within a few centimeters.

5. Communication is spread across a wider frequency band than before.

UWB is a technology very suitable for indoor positioning technology. As mentioned in the advantages of UWB, high-speed communication is possible and the error is in the cm unit, making it a very suitable technology for indoor positioning. UWB is determined by ToF (Time of Flight) and includes TDoA (TIme Difference of Arrival) and TWR (Two Way Ranging) methods.

The TDoA method is very similar to GPS. A fixed location device called an anchor is placed and time is synchronized with the tag. Tag transmits data called Blink, and anchors receive Blink and check the time. Multiple anchors receive Blink at different times and do not transmit response packets to the tag.

The TDoA method has the technical complexity of having to synchronize all tags and anchors, but has the advantage of being able to determine location with just one blink transmission, and the battery life is longer than the TWR method.

Meanwhile, the TWR (Two Way Ranging) method determines the time of flight of the UWB RF signal and then calculates the distance between the tag and anchor by multiplying the time by the speed of light. To measure distance, three messages must be exchanged.

As shown in FIG. 13, the UWB tag 161 initializes the Time of Sending Poll (TSP) by transmitting a Poll message to the UWB anchor 20. Anchor 208 records the polling reception time (TRP) and responds with a response message at the TSR time. When receiving a response message, the UWB tag 161 records the time (TRR) and creates a final message including ID, TSP, TRR, and TSF information. Based on the time reception of the final message TRF and the information provided in the final message, the UWB anchor 20 can measure UWB Time of Flight (ToF).

The TWR method does not require synchronization, so the complexity of implementation is lower than the TDoA method, but the battery life is not efficient because it calculates the distance to all anchors that can communicate.

As shown in FIG. 14, the message exchange method performed in FIG. 13 is performed for at least three anchors to measure the exact location of the facility robot 100 using triangulation.

Figure 15 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a facility management automation method using indoor positioning according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 15, the facility management automation method includes a data construction step (S910), a first positioning step (S920), a second positioning step (S930), a positioning reporting step (S940), and a location search step (S950). and a task performance step (S960).

First, in the data construction step (S910), setting data related to a plurality of precision positioning sections and UWV positioning sections are constructed within the smart farm 300.

After the data construction step (S910), the position of each facility robot 100 is measured in each precision positioning section using laser sensors provided on the front and back of each precision positioning section (S920).

The facility robot 100 is equipped with a first laser sensor on the front to measure the position using a laser within the precise positioning section and a first laser sensor provided on the rear to measure the position using a laser within the precise positioning section. A second laser sensor is provided.

In the first positioning step (S920), the first distance between the laser sensor 305 provided on the surface opposite to the first laser sensor measured by the first laser sensor of the facility robot 100, and the first The second distance between the facility robot 100 and the facility robot 100 measured by the laser sensor 305 provided on the surface opposite to the laser sensor must be the same.

In addition, the third distance between the laser sensor 306 provided on the surface opposite to the second laser sensor measured by the second laser sensor of the facility robot 100, and the third distance provided on the surface opposite to the second laser sensor The fourth distance measured by the laser sensor 306 and the facility robot 100 must be the same.

However, the measured first, second, third, and fourth distances have a certain degree of error, and based on this, the location of the facility robot 100 is finally determined.

Meanwhile, based on the measured first distance, second distance, third distance, and fourth distance, it can be determined whether a problem occurs in the smart farm 300. For example, the first distance and the second distance should be similar values, but if there is a very large difference, it means that a problem has occurred in the facility robot 100 or the laser sensor.

Thereafter, the position of each facility robot 100 is measured using a plurality of UWB anchors 20 in the UWB positioning section (S930).

In the second positioning step (S930), the position of the facility robot 100 is measured using a triangulation method using at least three anchors among the plurality of anchors.

Afterwards, the exact location of each facility robot 100 measured within the smart farm 300 is transmitted to the management server 200 (S940).

In the positioning reporting step (S940), the management server 200 determines whether a problem occurs in the smart farm 300 based on the measured first distance, second distance, third distance, and fourth distance. can do.

Thereafter, in response to a work request from the management server 200, each facility robot 100 accurately finds its location using positioning information (S950).

In the location search step (S950), the facility robot 100 moves from the UWB positioning section to the precise positioning section by performing line tracing using a camera.

Thereafter, in the task performance step (S960), each facility robot 100 within the smart farm 300 performs the task requested from the management server 200 at its location.

Although the facility management automation method using indoor positioning according to the present invention has been described above, the program for implementing the facility management automation method is stored in the computer-readable recording medium and the computer-readable recording medium for implementing the indoor management automation method. Of course, stored programs can also be implemented.

In other words, those skilled in the art will be able to easily understand that the above-described facility management automation method can be provided by being included in a recording medium that can be read by a computer by tangibly implementing a program of commands for implementing it. In other words, it can be implemented in the form of program instructions that can be executed through various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc., singly or in combination. Program instructions recorded on the computer-readable recording medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and usable by those skilled in the computer software art. Examples of the computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, and floptical disks. Included are magneto-optical media, and hardware devices specifically configured to store and perform program instructions, such as ROM, RAM, flash memory, USB memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine language code, such as that produced by a compiler, as well as high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to specific details such as specific components and limited embodiment drawings, but this is only provided to facilitate a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. No, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations from this description.

Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all matters that are equivalent or equivalent to the claims of this patent, as well as the claims described later, are said to fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. will be.

10: Facility management automation system
20: UWB anchor
30: Payload
100: Facility robot
110: body part
120: Mounting part
130: Chassis part
140: main control unit
141: Driving control unit
142: Work control unit
150: Information measurement unit
160: Department of Communications
161: UWB tag
170: battery
200: Control server
210: monitoring unit
300: Smart Farm
301: Output tray
302: Precision positioning section
303: rail
304: UWB positioning section
305: Laser sensor
306: Laser sensor
307: Smart Farm Communications Department
400: Administrator terminal

Claims (10)

In the facility management automation system,
A facility robot is equipped with a payload that performs tasks to assist crop growth and travels between crops cultivated within the facility; and
A control server that communicates with the facility robot;
Including,
The facility robot is,
It is formed as a vehicle including a body part and a chassis part,
The payload further includes a flat mounting part mounted on the upper surface so that the payload can be replaced, and a UWB tag to calculate positioning using UWB (Ultra Wide Band),
The facility management automation system is,
A plurality of UWB anchors fixed within the facility and communicating with the UWB tag;
It further includes,
The positioning of the facility robot is calculated using TDoA (TIme Difference of Arrival) or TWR (Two Way Ranging),
The facility robot is,
a main control unit including a travel control unit that controls driving and steering of the chassis unit; and
An information measurement unit that measures external information and transmits it to the main control unit;
It further includes,
The main control unit,
It further includes a work control unit connected to the payload to control the operation of the payload, controls the operation of the payload based on external information received from the information measurement unit, and includes a memory device to store a travel plan and a work plan. They are recorded in the driving control unit and the work control unit, respectively,
The travel plan includes a data set about the movement path of the facility robot,
The work plan includes a dataset of conditions for performing the work and work details,
The facility robot further includes a battery,
If the battery of the facility robot is below a certain level, it moves to the wireless docking station to recharge the battery, but if the battery exceeds the standard value, the facility robot's mission is resumed.
The payload mounted on the facility robot receives power from the battery and communicates data with the main control unit,
The main control unit detects the type of mission equipment connected through predefined presets, and requests additional presets from the control server when a type of equipment that it does not possess is connected,
The preset is information that includes the unique information, configuration information, and performance purpose of the mission equipment,
The control server is,
A monitoring unit that outputs the real-time location of the interior of the facility and the facility robot as an image;
Including,
The monitoring unit,
Based on real time, the path that the facility robot moved during the previous predetermined time and the path that the facility robot will move during the next predetermined time are output together,
The facility management automation system is,
A smart farm equipped with a precision positioning section and an ultra-wideband wireless technology (UWB) positioning section;
It further includes,
The smart farm is,
At least three or more UWB anchors are provided in the smart farm to perform UWB positioning,
A plurality of badge trays provided in the form of a line in a first direction within the smart farm;
A plurality of precise positioning sections provided in a first direction between neighboring discharge trays;
Rails provided on each precise positioning section on which the facility robot moves;
a UWB positioning section provided in the form of a line in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on one side of the plurality of precision positioning sections;
In each precision positioning section, a laser sensor is provided at the front and rear of the section along which the facility robot moves; and
A smart farm communication unit that supports wireless communication with the control server;
A facility management automation system comprising:
delete delete delete delete delete According to paragraph 1,
The information measuring unit includes a camera,
The control server is,
A monitoring unit that outputs images captured by the camera of the facility robot;
A facility management automation system comprising:
In the facility management automation method using the facility management automation system of paragraph 1,
A) The facility robot operates and transmits unique information of the facility robot to the control server; and
B) determining whether the facility robot is authorized based on the unique information received from the control server and responding to the facility robot as to whether the authorization is approved;
Including,
If the above facility robot is authorized,
C) transmitting status information of the facility robot to the control server after the facility robot receives permission approval; and
D) connecting the control server and the facility robot to each other;
A facility management automation method further comprising:
According to clause 8,
Once the authority of the above facility robot is approved,
In step B,
The control server transmits the reference coordinates of the UWB anchor,
A facility management automation method, wherein the status information in step C includes the current location of the facility robot.
According to clause 9,
The status information is,
Including the driving plan recorded in the memory device of the facility robot,
In step D,
A facility management automation method characterized in that when the travel plan recorded in the facility robot and the travel plan recorded in the control server conflict, the facility robot is operated according to a set priority.